Experimental psych course in summer or more reseach experience?

[siduri]

Hi guys, I'm in need of some advice over experimental psych course over research lab experience.

I'm a junior majoring in biochemistry. I do not have really much previous experience in psych,(though I'm working hard to get that experience now), but thinking of switching fields in the future.

I'm now on exchange at UWMadison and I'm planning to extend my stay till end of August. I already joined an affective/cognitive neuroscience lab here in the semester and if I stay I would be able to continue helping out there. Then there are other things to do...I can either take a two-month summer course in experimental psychology (with independent project to write up), or I can look for more summer research experience in relevant labs.

The experimental psych course is not something offered in my home university, so this may be the last chance for me to take such a course in methodology. I have talked to grad students and professors who noted that my lack of methodology/stat courses in psych may be a weakness should I want to apply to grad programs, and suggested that I try to make up some way. I'm not sure whether reading up stuff myself would look convincing to other people, and if it is more desirable to take a course.

However, since it's a summer course with compressed workload, it will be quite time-demanding and intensive, i.e. taking out full chunks of time in afternoons from Monday till Thursday, counting up to about 10 hours each week. I'm not sure if this is the case but it does look like cotaking such a course will prevent my concentrating on decent research; at least it makes my schedule a lot less flexible.

So here's the question, shall I take the course, or not take the course and do more research (like full-time, or in different labs) instead? Or can I actually do both? Does more research experience make up for lack of psych methodology course, and does this lack really matter much? I'll be very grateful for your opinions! Thanks!

[franks98]

Hi guys, I'm in need of some advice over experimental psych course over research lab experience.

I'm a junior majoring in biochemistry. I do not have really much previous experience in psych,(though I'm working hard to get that experience now), but thinking of switching fields in the future.

I'm now on exchange at UWMadison and I'm planning to extend my stay till end of August. I already joined an affective/cognitive neuroscience lab here in the semester and if I stay I would be able to continue helping out there. Then there are other things to do...I can either take a two-month summer course in experimental psychology (with independent project to write up), or I can look for more summer research experience in relevant labs.

The experimental psych course is not something offered in my home university, so this may be the last chance for me to take such a course in methodology. I have talked to grad students and professors who noted that my lack of methodology/stat courses in psych may be a weakness should I want to apply to grad programs, and suggested that I try to make up some way. I'm not sure whether reading up stuff myself would look convincing to other people, and if it is more desirable to take a course.

However, since it's a summer course with compressed workload, it will be quite time-demanding and intensive, i.e. taking out full chunks of time in afternoons from Monday till Thursday, counting up to about 10 hours each week. I'm not sure if this is the case but it does look like cotaking such a course will prevent my concentrating on decent research; at least it makes my schedule a lot less flexible.

So here's the question, shall I take the course, or not take the course and do more research (like full-time, or in different labs) instead? Or can I actually do both? Does more research experience make up for lack of psych methodology course, and does this lack really matter much? I'll be very grateful for your opinions! Thanks!

If you can handle it, do both. I think schools will be looking for at least one psych methods course. Most will even usually state that if you're applying without a major in psych to make sure that you have had methods and stats. Despite your research experience, it would be quite a gamble putting in apps without methods on your transcript. Being in the UW system myself (not at Madison, though), I think you'll be able to handle the 8 week summer course while doing research with a lab. The 8 week courses go at a nice pace, not too compressed -- in fact, I prefer an 8 week class over the 14 or 17 week ones just 'cause it doesn't drag on for so long. Anyways, that's my opinion. Try to do both. You seem motivated and bright and I don't think you'll have a problem handling the work load.

Oh, and as to whether research will make up for lack of a methods course? Again, I wouldn't try this as it may not fly with many schools. Even if you are well taught in the hands-on setting, that then must be communicated not only in your SoP but your LoR writers will also likely have to make mention of it. To me, this is unnecessary space spent explaining a deficiency rather than using it to tell adcomms how awesome you are.

[psychapplicant2011]

Take the course. If you can, try to work part-time in a lab, but definitely take the course.

[LJK]

I agree with the other responders: take the course. It sounds like you are definitely going to continue working with the lab you already have ties to - that is sufficient I think. You don't need to add additional research on top of the stuff you will already be doing. (More research all at once is different from more research over time in my opinion.) By continuing to work in this one lab, you will get a richer, more in-depth letter of recommendation out of the experience, where as if you were splitting your time up more, you might not be able to keep up as high a quality of work and your potential LORs would suffer. Make sure you build a relationship with the person teaching the summer course as well - they have more time during the summer to get to know their students and the class size is likely to be pretty small. If you need another LOR this person could be a possibility if you are proactive about developing a relationship.

[Arcadian]

Experimental psychology (aka "research methods") is the most important course to have on your transcript for graduate admissions. If you can't take it in the fall, then definitely take it during the summer.

[siduri]

Thank you all so much for your advice! There's high demand for the course in summer time, and I hope I can negotiate myself into it somehow, hmm...